The South Africans have arrived ready for the one-day series. I haven't seen them much, but I know they played England A in a Twenty20 yesterday. It was a close game and they put up a good contest - and they're just warming up, having just got here.
We don't know too much about them – we haven't really got any footage of the bowlers - but we are feeling very confident. We should do, we're playing a lot of good cricket and having a lot of international success at the moment and I see no reason why we shouldn't continue that and do what we need to do and keep our standards up.
Cricket is one of those things where, it sounds boring, but you've got to do the basics well. We need to just get out there, see what challenge we need to do well and do what we need to do. If we bowl the lines and lengths we want to do and bat the way we want to bat, we should see what we need to do to take the series.
Our opening match will be an interesting challenge. It's at Canterbury on a different pitch for me; I've not played there before. There's a bit of a slope, which may be like Lord's – which is where we are playing our second match – so we will have to take things in consideration.
There was a rain interruption today for our final day of training before tomorrow's series opener at Canterbury. We managed to get in everything we needed to do today. It went pretty well but obviously a bit rain-affected. Everything's working well.
The County Championships were a good preparation leading up to the tour. I did all right, a few 30s and there were a few low pitches. Timing-wise, I'm seeing it well, hitting it well, so I'm comfortable and my team, Surrey, won our division. Everyone got a good three days' solid practice before joining up with the camp.
A final note on the Champs, as they're changing format next year. It's always been nice when everyone goes to the tournament when you're together – nice socially. And when we've played five days in a row, you've got to test yourself when you get tired, mentally and physically. But in terms of progress we need to go in line with the men like in ODIs.
It's more professional and it's a good idea to play more games. I hope it doesn't put people off with the commitment - a few county players for whom it's a hobby may find it too much up to go up to Lancashire and down to Somerset. But it's a positive step forward, moving in line to how we want to be – more professional.
Posted by: Smantha Little at August 11, 2008 7:11 AM
I am maybe one of the biggest womens cricket fans and I know a few of the SA players personally... I cant believe that they have lost their games played at Lords and Canterbury... but im sure that they will pick up and kuck butt.. I have alot of confidence in them and ill keep looking up their progress on cricinfo.. C'mon ladies, make us proud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Samantha Lillte at August 13, 2008 11:23 AM
Well done SA.. Your third one day looks so much better.. Remember VALUE ladies... if you want to know the VALUE of a millisecond, ask an athlete who won a silver medal at the olymoics... Kick up a notch and show the English what we are made of... xxx sam
Posted by: shamsullah osmani at August 19, 2008 10:16 AM
Mithali Raj, India's former captain, has been on the international circuit for a decade. In August 2006, she led India to their first-ever Test and series win in England and capped off the year by winning the Asia Cup - the second time in 12 months - without dropping a game. India, under her captaincy, also reached the World Cup final in 2005. Now, as one of the senior members of the side, and the premier batsman, a lot will be riding on her for the two World Cups - 50-over and Twenty20 - that India will play in 2009.
Urooj Mumtaz managed to juggle a course in dentistry along with captaining Pakistan. Their most recent triumph was qualifying for the World Cup next year and the 22-year old Urooj will lead a young team to Australia in hope of creating a favourable impression of the Pakistan women's team among the other sides as well as back home. A legspinner, she has a hat-trick against Zimbabwe.
Cri-zelda Brits became South Africa’s captain at the age of 23, standing in for Shandre Fritze in the home series against Pakistan in 2007. She followed this by captaining the side to a 3-0 series whitewash against the Netherlands as well as winning the first-ever Test between the two sides by 159 runs. In 2008 she scored her maiden ODI hundred and led South Africa to a spot in the World Cup after beating Pakistan in the Qualifiers final in Stellenbosch. She also coaches the Northwest women's team, based in Potchefstroom, and runs her own academy.
Shelley Nitschke combines playing for Australia and her state with working in cricket, as a school officer. A useful spinner, her batting is also worth talking about – she has developed into a handy allrounder. Her major achievements to date are winning the 2005 World Cup, taking 7 for 24 against England in Kidderminster in 2005 and being nominated for the ICC Women's Player of the Year in 2006-07. Although she has played netball, softball and basketball, cricket has always been her stand-out sport.
Ebony Rainford-Brent made history as one of eight England players to be handed a Chance to Shine coaching contract, allowing her flexibility around training. A top-order batsman, she fought back from what doctors thought was a career-killing back injury and could one day bowl again – calling her determined is an understatement. She is on the Surrey Academy and her Super 4s side is Diamonds. Proficient in basketball and athletics, she settled for playing cricket … and the drums.
Haidee Tiffen has played for New Zealand for more than ten years and is now their captain, having begun her career with Otago Under-21s before heading to Canterbury. She has played representational hockey, basketball and rugby – but cricket is her passion and won out over New Zealand junior hockey. She is particularly proud of winning the World Cup in 2000, reaching the 100-ODI milestone and being skipper. Her experience also includes playing for Sussex for two winters and she was also part of the first female academy in Lincoln. Somehow she also finds time to teach Health and PE at Hillmorton High School.
Isobel Joyce,a class bat with a steely mentality, comes from a family full of cricketers - twin sister Cecilia plays alongside her for Ireland and brother Dom for the men’s national team, while another brother, Ed, plays for England and Middlesex. Her first half-century came against a strong New Zealand attack in Dublin in 2004 and her figures of 4 for 20 helped her side beat Scotland by six wickets in the European Championship in 2001, where Ireland won all their three matches. Her 46 against Netherlands in the summer of 2007 helped to maintain her place in the World Cup qualifiers in South Africa. She was in outstanding form with both and ball during the tournament, scoring 148 runs at 37 and taking 10 wickets at an average of 7. She ran out five Pakistani players in Ireland's first match, before earning two successive Player-of-the-Match awards against Scotland and then Zimbabwe, against whom she scored 70 and took 4 for 10. She was named captain for their next series, against West Indies, after Heather Whelan pulled out because she was expecting.
Nadine George has been a regular for West Indies since her debut in 1999. She first led the side on their tour of Europe in June-July 2008, when West Indies thrashed Ireland and Netherlands while putting up a respectable performance against England. Nadine combines playing for West Indies and her national team, St.Lucia, with her day job as a Sergeant in the Police Marine Unit of the Royal St.Lucia Police Force. A left-hand batsman and wicketkeeper, Nadine says the highlights of her career are receiving an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2005, being the first West Indies woman cricketer to score a century in a Test (in Pakistan in 2004), playing in the World Cup in South Africa (2005), and playing club cricket in Australia in 2006. Nadine also plays netball and volleyball and loves the marine environment and is passionate about diving. She is a qualified open water diver and during her working hours captains a 65 and 82 ft vessel. Her motto in life is "with hard work and dedication one can achieve".
Web Feeds
